The Four Stalkers: Origins
by Captain Blue
Summary: Four friends are chosen by their university's headmistress to complete a special task: get Ash and Misty together! But between their subjects' stubbornness, rival shippers, and other mishaps, things prove to be more complicated than they'd hope. A/M, ?/?
1. Chapter 1

Alright, readers, you're in for a treat. This is a reboot of a series originally posted on the Serebii Forums in August 2005. It started as a series of instant messaging role-plays between myself and a few friends, and eventually grew into a trilogy of stories. Basically, as my friends and I are Pokeshippers (Ash/Misty for the uneducated), we wrote ourselves in the anime-verse with the intent to getting Ash and Misty together.

This reboot will be six chapters long, and I am alternating chapters with the lovely MistyMix89: she is doing chapters one, three, and five, I am writing chapters two and six. Chapter 4 is going to be a joint effort between us.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS MAINLY A POKESHIPPING STORY. There will be other shippers featured, but they will remain unidentified, faceless, and not based on anyone whatsoever to avoid offending anyone who can't stand to have themselves mocked. This fiction is for the purpose of pure, clean fun (well... mostly).

**CAST - **Listed by Pen Name**  
><strong>CaptainBlue as Dylan/Blue  
>MistyMix89 as KristellYellow  
>Experiment 282 as Stacee<br>LustingCloud as Stanley/Muffin/Shota-Man  
>Commander Cody as Cody<p>

**The Four Stalkers**  
><em>by CaptainBlue &amp; MistyMix89<br>_Rating: T for Teen  
><span>Pairing(s)<span>: Ash/Misty, ?/?  
><span>Summary<span>: Four friends are chosen for a special mission by the university's headmistress: get Ash and Misty together. Sounds easy, right? But between Ash and Misty's short tempers, rival shippers, and general mishaps, things prove to be more complicated that they'd hope...  
><span>Disclaimer<span>: Pokemon is copyright its original owners. The only thing the authors own are the fictionalized representations of the cast and the plot.

* * *

><p><strong> Chapter<strong> **One**  
><em>It Begins! The Formation of the Legendary Matchmaking Group<em>

There it was. Off in the distance, a school like no other stood under the clear blue sky on the Sevii Islands. This was not like most schools. This particular institution had a different atmosphere. Outside the brinks of One Island, the tall gates were quiet and serene to disclose the high volume of activity within. To a newcomer, it almost seemed like a medieval castle. Long, red banners from two tall towers fell to reach a particular distance from the smooth earth. There were matching crimson flags on top of each tower with the letters "PSA" standing for PokéShipping Academy. Between the two towers rested the main building where classes are held.

The school was built several years ago in favor of the relationship of Ash and Misty-or rather, the potential relationship. Students are chosen from all over the world to attend in order to claim loyalty for the unlikely pair. General studies were not ignored, but this school had classes where the students are taught about romance, philosophy, and all aspects related to Pokémon training. The minimum qualifications for one to be accepted are how a candidate must swear to loyalty and somehow prove how one is a Pokéshipper. Often, an essay or presentations were requested for further investigation. Heaven forbid an anti-shipper was accepted. In the simplest terms, a Pokéshipper is a person who believes in the love affair between Ash and Misty. It is someone who is a loyal supporter and will stay with their ship until the very end. A true shipper must know the relationship the two share and of course, all Pokéshippers wished their dream to come true.

Like most competitive schools, an interview is required for possible entry. The academy became a respected institution because of its' value of education and allowing all accepted students to dorm within the two towers. The left tower was originally built for male students as was the same for the right tower for females, but that had changed in the recent years. Students were becoming too competitive with genders until it was deemed right for dorms to be mixed. Each tower contained five gracious floors with a laundry room, meeting area, a private suite for one staff member, and four apartments with two suites for each. A total of one hundred and sixty students and ten staff members resided in the dorms. The remainder of the staff was a small group including the headmaster living in the main building.

It was not long until the bells of PokéShipping Academy began its' alerting morning melody from a smaller tower behind the school.

While most students rose from sleep while the bells continued the tune, two delicate hands reached over a set of ears and quietly stirred in bed. 'Those damned bells,' the student hissed in thought. Granted, it was too much to ask for a quieter or perhaps a more soothing sound. The student wondered whether the bell keeper enjoyed interrupting such gracious sleep. Attempting to fall asleep for a few more minutes, ears perked as a quick knock on the door burst the notion for further rest.

"Rise and shine," another half-awake student called.

A thick white comforter slowly lowered from the student's head. Dark brown eyes fluttered open and slightly winced from the rays of light entering. Another knock was heard from the door and out came the slurred reply, "Alright… I'm awake."

The other student nodded in approval, informing the stirring student she would meet her in the kitchen while trying not to giggle. The brunette walked away from the door, yawning until a thud echoed in the apartment. Her clear blue-green eyes grew wide, pausing as she heard a groan and slowly shook her head.

Another door opened with the youngest of the group, a blond male, walking over to the room next door to him. He greeted the brunette with a wave and shifted his focus to the door. "You alright in there?"

After hearing the floor creak from movement, the young blond haired man carefully rubbed his forehead and assumed his roommate inside was fine. He was already dressed in his school uniform, unusual for typical mornings. Stacee was usually the first to wake, followed by Muffin and Yellow, and Blue was normally the last. Silence was often the answer when attempting to speak to him. He shrugged and strolled to the kitchen after Stacee.

Delighted to inhale the scent of breakfast, he exclaimed, "Awesome, we're having pancakes!"

"No, I'm having pancakes," Stacee corrected with a smug as she swiftly took them out of the toaster and set them on her plate. As soon as she saw his face fall with disappointment, she told him there were plenty more in the freezer.

"There better be or else I'm going to flip a table," Muffin smirked as he walked to the refrigerator while Stacee rolled her eyes.

"I take it they're still asleep?" the brunette asked before taking out a glass from the cabinet above.

"As usual," the blond replied with a shrug, making his way to the toaster.

"Typical."

Not long after, an alarm clock disturbed the silence in the apartment inside one of the bedrooms. A long arm stretched towards the night table. Clenching a fist, a hand crashed into the machine and caused it to die.

"He must be awake after that," Stacee noted, already having a seat with her food and drink while Stan nodded.

A door swept open with a restless Yellow standing. She adjusted her black glasses that matched with her hair color. Muffin popped his head from the kitchen door and waved. "Yellow, you're awake!"

"How could I not be after that?" she answered with a half-smile, walking to the last door.

Muffin quickly retreated back into the kitchen with a perplexed Stacee raising an eyebrow. "She's in her bad mood again."

"No doubt he's gonna hear it," chuckled Stacee.

"Blue, open up!" Several knocks came.

The last of the group, Blue, stirred from his sleep and snapped his blue eyes open. He knew she was out there again and silently debated whether or not to open the door.

"If I hear you break another alarm clock-!" Yellow began with her frustrated tone voice.

He quickly rose from bed and rushed to the door to meet with narrowing dark eyes in contrast to his. "Yes, 'Mom'?"

"You have no idea how annoying it gets to hear that for the past month!" she hissed, not amused by his antics.

"If I don't use them, I won't be able to get up," he protested with an innocent grin.

Yellow walked past him into his room and glared at the broken pieces of the alarm clock. "What the hell? How many of these do you have?"

Standing next to her, he answered, "Plenty". He opened the dresser next to the night table to reveal tons of alarm clocks inside.

"You're crazy," came the disturbed response from her.

"Good morning to you, too," he smirked.

Yellow threw her arms up in agony and instantly left the room. Apartment twenty was always like this every morning. Most of the time anyway. Blue shrugged as he closed his door to get dressed.

"You're quite cheery," Stacee added once Yellow took a seat with her breakfast.

"Don't even start, Stacee."

"Why don't you try getting up earlier so you'd eat and wouldn't hear it?" Muffin suggested.

"I might as well steal one from him anyway," Yellow muttered as her eyes widened to face her friends. "He's got more than twenty in there!"

"I'm sure we can all benefit stealing one from him every day," the brunette said with an all knowing smile.

"I heard that," Blue called from the doorway of the kitchen as the three glanced at him. "So, what's for breakfast?"

"You'll have to make do without the pancakes," the dark haired young woman stated coolly. "If you were up earlier, you would have gotten a pancake. I took the last two."

Stan, or known as Muffin, being the youngest out of the four in apartment twenty, glanced at Blue with a helpless smile and offered one of his to share.

He was classified as a second year at PokeShipping Academy, Stacee and Blue were in their fourth year while Yellow was in her sixth year. Blue and Yellow were normally called by their nicknames in preference to Dylan and Kristell because of their favorite colors.

"Thanks Shota-man," Blue thanked as he playfully stuck out his tongue to an unsatisfied Yellow. She returned the gesture, half-smiling.

"You two should go out," commented Stacee while Blue poured milk into his glass, resulting for it to overflow.

Yellow watched in disbelief, narrowing her eyes to her roommate. "Don't even go there."

Suddenly, the bells interrupted the somewhat peaceful meal as the four students froze. They quickly scrambled out of their seats at the kitchen table. Blue gulped down his milk, Yellow stuffed her mouth with a pancake, Stan quickly wrapped up his breakfast, and Stacee had finished hers moments ago.

* * *

><p>It was not long before each were equipped with their backpacks and dressed in proper uniform. For the girls, the uniform consisted of a short sleeved white blouse with a red ribbon and a dark blue blazer and skirt; the same colors applied to the boys except for having pants instead of skirts and black ties to replace the red ribbons. Both genders were expected to have black polished shoes, white socks, and the school's initials PSA on the blazer.<p>

The four students parted ways after leaving their apartment and made the journey down the right tower. Stan had Math first (to his horror), Yellow had English (which she agonized over the boring teacher), Stacee had Art (to her excitement), and Blue had History (a class he'd rather snooze to).

While the four had different schedules, they were all relieved to stand next to each other for Physical Education. Out of the nine classes, they shared Physical Education, Pokémon Battle Techniques, and Lunch. The four were luckily assigned to the same team for Volleyball.

"Hey guys, did you hear the rumor?" Stacee asked as she served the ball towards the other team.

"What rumor?" Yellow piped, staring at the other team to keep watch on the ball.

"I heard there's supposed to be a mission for one apartment group for something," she gleamed with excitement.

"Do you think… we'd get it?" Muffin grunted, managing to bounce the ball back to the other side.

"Doubt it," Blue answered.

"Oh, come on. You have to have a little hope for our group," Yellow protested, hands on her hips.

"She's got a point, we could be chosen," Stacee agreed.

"Ack, guys! The ball!" Muffin cried, once again passing to the other team who stared at the four with questionable looks.

One of the boys from the other team hit the ball, making sure to score the first point… and easily succeeded.

"You guys are out of focus," he smirked as his teammates cheered.

"Oh, I'll give you focus," Yellow challenged.

"Give it to me, baby," the athletic student grinned as another male student hollered. His smile faded when she raised the middle finger at him. In response, he shot the volleyball across the court; Yellow quickly hit the ball back, frightening a female from the other side to tie the score.

The ball was passed to Muffin, knowing their previous conversation was over for the time being. He lifted the ball and hit it the opposing team as they responded well. As the ball bounced back, Blue was the next to hit it. He disliked playing this sport, but he knew Yellow was anxious to have the team win. That often proved a problem with the oldest of the four; once she got into something, it becomes difficult to finish it.

One of the other females from the other side punched the ball back resulting to another point. This became a vicious cycle with every turn ending with a point for each team until the score was 17-17.

Stacee wiped her forehead while Yellow adjusted her hair into a ponytail. Blue clenched his fists and Muffin glanced at the clock resting against the middle wall. Two minutes remained until it would be time to change attire. For this turn, it was Blue to serve as the game quickly resumed. With grunts from both teams, the poor ball was demanded back and forth. One minute remained. A girl from the other team barely managed to hit the ball, requiring the same male from before to support her. With a powerful blow, the ball rapidly headed for the other side as he smirked.

Aiming for Yellow, she took a few steps back to be ready to respond. Her dark eyes focused on the route of the ball and suddenly, a loud cheer was heard. The volleyball made its' final echoes vibrating from the shiny floor. Regaining feeling in her arm, her eyes flashed to where a bright red glowed on her skin. As she stared across the court, the other side was busy celebrating while her teammates rushed to her. It was then she realized the ball had hit her arm; her hands missed as the bell was heard.

"Are you okay?" Stacee shot her out of her trance as Yellow nodded.

"What assholes," Muffin muttered, staring at her arm.

Blue wasted no time to throw the ball at the other player's head, causing him to fall in his tracks. Slightly satisfied, he glanced at Yellow.

"Thanks for that," she chuckled with thanks.

"You sure you're alright?" Blue asked, wondering if she should visit the infirmary.

"I'm fine, really. It's not like I broke a bone," Yellow teased.

"If you say so."

Yellow apologized to the group as Stacee joked she should take on challenges on her own. The two girls laughed while the boys stared at them in question. Not long after, it was time to spread ways.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Stacee was the last of the four to arrive to Pokémon Battle Techniques class. She silently cursed Economics class was so far away from this one, almost always being the last student of the entire class of twenty to appear. As she noticed the teacher's unhappy glare, the brunette quickly took a seat next to her friends.<p>

While the teacher started to write on the chalkboard to further explain what the battle techniques for today would be, several students whispered to each other about the ongoing rumor. A third year student revealed, "There's supposed to be a seventh year student among the four!"

"Makes sense for the oldest ones to go," another student agreed.

"That's not what I've heard: a first year is among the four!"

"I bet it'll be me!"

Muffin rolled his eyes in annoyance, biting his tongue to tell them to shut the fuck up. For a rumor, this one was spreading like wildfire. Every class he's been in had students wondering. Even the staff was curious to know who the fantastic four would be. Furthermore, it was stranger how no one had seen the headmaster yet. The headmaster was always wandering around the hallways to greet and inspect the students. This left the second year student wondering if something had happened to the headmaster. Surely if something terrible occurred, everyone would have known right away.

The headmaster was made famous for several things: writing a well-known fan-fiction that had captured hearts, creating several of the world's best Pokéshipping essays known to date, and expressing leadership among thousands of Pokéshippers, especially within her famed group. She was kind yet firm. In previous times, she was known by her nickname Water Spirit but now simply called Tara.

A polite knock startled everyone in the room. As everyone glanced at the door as it opened, eyes widened in shock. It was her.

"G-good morning, Headmaster," the teacher stuttered, recalling the rumor and confirmed the four were from this set of students.

"Good morning," she cooed with a warm smile. "Is it alright if I-?"

"Not at all!" The back of the teacher rested against the chalkboard, not caring how powder was coming in contact.

Eager eyes stared at the headmaster whom only smiled in return. Step by step, she carefully inspected each student in the room. After staring into the eyes of every student, the headmaster's lips quietly stated, "You four. Please come with me."

All eyes went to the four students next to each other. The teacher and students all raised an eyebrow in disbelief. No one could believe a seventh year student wasn't chosen after all the rumors nearly confirming throughout the school. Several teachers believed one of the four would be the most popular student at PSA. It was certain the student's cheery attitude would be replaced by rage once she knew.

No one had moved. The headmaster quickly glanced at the four once more, this time her aquamarine eyes speaking with great urge to come with her. "That's an order."

It was then the four remembered to breathe. Stacee was the first to speak as she bowed. "Yes, Headmaster!" She jerked her arm to Blue who quickly mimicked the same motion. Muffin and Yellow followed with the chain of gesture.

The headmaster nodded in approval, walking towards the door. The four quietly followed as students whispered to each other. It was quiet enough for the teacher and headmaster not to hear, but surely loud enough for the four to listen.

"There's got to be some mistake."

"Those four?"

"Bloody hell."

"The seventh years are going to flip."

"Oh, they're so lucky!"

"Too lucky."

As the five left the classroom, the hallways had gone silent. Pokéshipping Academy was never this quiet. While walking past each classroom, the footsteps of students inside rushed to the doorway to peek at whom were the chosen ones. Glares of disbelief would follow. The four bit their tongues in order not to holler at the taunts, especially with the headmaster leading the way.

It was obvious word would spread even faster than before. Were they really chosen after all?

It seemed like forever until the five entered the headmaster's room. It was small yet highly organized with bookshelves surrounding the room filled with books, folders, and papers. Four chairs were arranged in front of the headmaster's desk. This particular room had a certain air, far different than the rest of the campus. It reeked of importance, history, and fame. Rarely had any student entered this room.

The headmaster took her seat at her desk, flashing a warm smile to soothe the alarmed students. "Please have a seat."

Within seconds, the four were seated; each one was scared yet very anxious to know what they were sent here for.

Clearing her throat, a serious expression imperialized the once sweet face. "As you know, I have called you four for something very important."

Silence was the only thing to respond.

"You four have been selected to make history."

Muffin opened his mouth to say something but there was no sound.

"Your mission is to pair Ash and Misty together."

Stacee froze at those words.

The headmaster was amused at the four who were too shocked to react. "Heavens, I had no idea you'd all be this shocked."

"I-it doesn't make sense," Blue replied with confusion.

"Out of all the students here… why us?" Yellow questioned with a bizarre expression.

"Because you four are the most suitable students and not to mention, your contributions to Pokéshipping in general," the headmaster answered. "I have been observing you four for quite a while. Out of all the teams I have arranged during all these years, none are matched to the personalities and interaction of yours. I will save the explanation for another time. Each of you possesses a quality required for such missions. Miss Kristell has determination, Miss Stacee with reason, Mr. Stanley with balance, and Mr. Dylan with sarcasm."

"Of all the qualities I have-," Blue began as Yellow nudged him.

"Any questions?"

The four shook their heads.

"Very well," she nodded, "You are to use any method possible. And be warned, you may have competition. Please be sure to bring your necessities as this process may take a while."

Glances were exchanged among the four.

"Oh, and this is my phone number in case of an emergency," the headmaster gave Stacee a paper containing the information as she stored it away in her bag. "Off you go, before the school starts roaring."

They nodded, bowing to express their thanks. "Thank you, Headmaster!" As the four rose from their seats, their faces had excitement written all over. Right before opening the door, rumbles of footsteps were heard running from the headmaster's room. As Muffin hesitated to open the door, it was surprisingly quiet as before.

This year was sure to be an exciting one.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
><strong>_Setting Foot in Cerulean! The Initial Attempt at Fulfulling the Task_

The walk down the hall from the Headmistresses' Office seemed much long than usual for the four. Their footsteps echoed down the empty passage, bouncing off the hundreds of metal lockers lining the walls. As they passed by classroom doors, the students inside pushed and shoved each other to get a better look, pressing their noses and cheeks against the small windows.

"I feel like a zoo exhibit," muttered Stacee blithely, jamming her hands in her jacket pockets, glowering at the people peering eagerly at her.

"Who cares?" said Yellow, brown eyes gleaming with excitement. "We got chosen, not them, so let's get on with it already!"

"Exactly!" Stan agreed, nodding fiercely. "Even though I never thought it was possible in the first place…"

"Aren't you a bright ray of sunshine?" Blue said blandly, adjusting his messenger bag on his shoulder. A well-worn ballcap now settled atop his head, hiding his ice-blue eyes under the shadow of the brim.

"Oh shush," Stan snapped, but looked rather pleased with himself nonetheless. He leapt down the stairs of the main entrance, the other three following him outside. Tara instructed them to leave immediately via one of the several Seagallop Ferries that traveled between the Sevii Islands and the mainland of Kanto.

The weather was warm but pleasant: clouds drifted lazily along the crisp blue sky, the sun warming everyone after the air conditioned school building. The four friends traveled down the small path leading down to the Town Square of Knot Island. The red roof of the Pokemon Center was instantly distinguishable, even amongst the Spanish-tiled tops of the houses dotted around. To the north, the giant inactive volcano of Mount Ember cast a rather foreboding shadow over the rest of the island, columns of steam rising up from its crater.

But the destination today was the bustling port to the south. Muscular sailors heaved boxes and crates onto and off the many boats nestled here, and some fishermen were setting up their tackle and rods on a designated fishing dock. Stacee, Stan, Yellow, and Blue edged their way through the activity towards the Ferry building, almost accidently knocking over a few young children feeding docile Wingulls perched on signposts.

"Hello," said Stacee to the sailor standing cross-armed at the building's entrance. "We'd like to ride the ferry, please."

"Where to?" The sailor asked, unfolding his arms. "Of course, I'll take you pretty girls anywhere you please." He added with a grin and a wink.

"We need to go to Vermillion City," cut in Blue, a slight edge in his voice. He flashed his Rainbow Pass, a permanent ticket that allowed travel access to all seven islands and Kanto.

"Certainly," said the sailor, ignoring the young man's irritation. "Right this way, then." He moved aside and bowed mockingly when Blue passed by, who scowled in response.

"Who crapped in your cereal this morning?" Stan muttered to his friend as they got on board the state-of-the-art hydrofoil ship that would take them to the Kanto mainland. Yellow and Stacee settled into seats by a window, while Blue and Stan sat a few rows back to converse.

"Nothing," The older boy said, reclining in his seat as a few more passengers piled onto the ship. He spared a quick glance towards the girls, who were now cooing over a collection of fan-art Yellow had pulled from her backpack. Stan quickly understood and grinned evilly.

"You're pissed the sailor was flirting at them,"

"No I wasn't," said Blue much too quickly, shooting a glare at the younger boy.

"Yes you were, don't deny it."

"I can and I will." Blue pulled his hat low over his eyes and folded his arms, intending to nap over the voyage. But Stan had other plans: he leaned over and started poking Blue's cheek.

"You were jealous and mad at the perverted sailor man, huh~?"

"Poke me one more time and I'll lower you over the boat and feed to the Sharpedo."

"Aw, you don't mean that." But Blue's glare told him otherwise, so Stan desisted and turned to stare out the window to his right instead, chin in his hand.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for riding the Seagallop Hi-Speed Seven today," came the captain's voice over the intercom about a half-hour later. "We have now arrived at Vermillion City. Please gather your belongings and depart the ship safely and have a nice day."<p>

The passengers began to get up and leave, the noise level increasing as the doors opened and sounds of Vermillion drifted in. Stan stood up from his seat, but Blue was fast asleep now and wouldn't budge. With a sigh, Stan caught Yellow's eye and the two girls came over.

"He won't wake up," Stan explained as Blue shifted a little, hat still over his eyes. "If we don't hurry we'll end up back at Knot Island."

Yellow leaned down and whispered something into Blue's ear. It must've been something effective, because he got up out of his seat and walked off the boat, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

"What did you say?" asked Stacee, inhaling the salty sea breeze as they followed their half-asleep comrade off the Seagallop Ferry.

"That the Annual Swimsuit Modeling Contest was going on," replied Yellow, a light smile playing across her lips.

"… There's no such thing, is there?"

"Not at all."

"That's just evil," Pouted Stan, sulking a little. "I wanted to see if any of these sailors were gonna participate…" They soon caught up with Blue, who was standing by the PokeMart a few yards away from the dock.

"That wasn't funny," he grumbled at Yellow, who simply giggled. "I actually thought you were being nice,"

"You're just so easy to tease," Yellow replied, walking by.

"If you two are done flirting," cut in Stacee (Yellow and Blue both demanded "Don't say that,"). "Let's get moving, shall we? Cerulean's still up north, and the sooner we get there the better."

"I agree," added Stan. "The sooner we complete this mission the sooner we can be treated as heroes."

They began their track through Vermillion City, listening to the waves crashing against the shoreline, the cry of Wingulls, and people chatting as they walked by. The sun blazed down on them, the giant orb holding in the exact middle of the sky, the heat lessened by soft yet frequent breezes of wind.

"It's such a romantic city," sighed Yellow contently. "The weather, the atmosphere… everything."

"Yeah, once you get past some of the less desirable things," added Stacee as they passed an enthusiastic vendor slapping a paper fan against his stall, promising passer-by that they could win a rare Pokemon. "That guy's just selling Magikarp; you can see the tank underneath the stall… what a scam."

"I wonder what Magikarp taste like," Blue wondered aloud, hands in his pant pockets, not seeing Stan stare aghast at him.

"Don't let Misty hear you say that," Stacee said with a smirk. "She'll gut you alive and feed you to her Gyarados."

"I have a four-foot-long electric tarantula that says otherwise," Blue shot back, accepting a few sample of Sunny Sunkern-brand popcorn and popping a few kernels in his mouth.

Yellow visibly shuddered. "I don't see how you like that thing," She said, nose wrinkling at the smell of the popcorn. "And popcorn." Blue simply ignored her, offering his sample to Stan and Stacee as they walked on.

Soon they reached Route Six, a vast winding dirt road lined with tall grass, tall oak trees, and a small lake of clear, blue water. A few people were here, mostly Trainers battling each other or taking care of their Pokemon. One boy with a straw hat and a butterfly net was grooming his Weedle, and Yellow drew away, instinctively grabbing Blue's arm, whom she was walking next to.

"I hate bugs," She hissed, turning away as the Bug-type looked towards her. "They're so gross." Blue said nothing, but both Stacee and Stan noticed that his face had gotten very slightly red.

The gate connecting Route Six and Saffron City was locked (the guard, presumably, on his lunch break), so the group had to instead take the Underground Path which would take them directly north to Route Five. The tunnel was dimly lit, dank, and smelled like wet Zigzagoon fur.

"We should give ourselves a name," said Yellow about half-way through the tunnel, avoiding getting her school shoes in a puddle of some odd-looking liquid.

"Like a collective name, of us as a group?" asked Stacee, her voice bouncing off the walls. "Okay, what were you thinking of?"

"Er… well… I hadn't thought of anything specific." The dark-haired girl admitted with a nervous laugh, a drop of sweat falling down the back of her head.

"I know, I know!" chirped Stan, easily seen within the dark passageway because of his blond hair. "Since we're obviously gonna get questioned about how much we know about them – Ash and Misty, I mean – we can be 'the Stalkers'! Huh?"

"That's a bit counter-productive, isn't it?" asked Blue, kicking a small rock with his foot as he walked.

"I like it, though," said Yellow. "It's very accurate. Shall we put it to a vote?"

"I think it's perfect," put in Stacee. "So let's use it." She turned to Blue, who blinked.

"Yeah, okay."

"So it's settled!" said Stan, his voice rising in volume. "Henceforth, we shall be known as the Four Stalkers!"

"Oh this is going to go over well," muttered Blue, eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose, as the other three let out a cheer at their accomplishment.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, as the newly-named Stalkers emerged from the Underground Tunnel onto Route Five weary, slightly exhausted, and smelling like Stunky spray. Yet they persevered, for they were that much closer to their goal.<p>

"I swore that tunnel went on forever," cursed Yellow, glaring behind her at the entrance.

"Doesn't matter, let's move on." Said Stacee, patting her friend's back and pointing. "Look, Cerulean City limits, straight ahead." They tracked along, passing the Pokemon Day Care center, where young Pokemon were playing in the backyard. Blue and Stacee practically had to drag Stan and Yellow along, as they had stopped to "ooh" and "aww" at them: Yellow in particular was getting attached to a small Psyduck who had waddled over to see the commotion.

"But it's so cuteeee!" she said, practically melting as the Duck Pokemon tilted its head in observation.

"We have someplace to be, though," Blue said, pulling her arm. "If you want, though, we can leave you here and we'll meet Misty on our own."

"No, I'm coming, I'm coming!" It was no surprise that she was the first to set foot in Cerulean City. The northern-most city of Kanto, Cerulean was known for its bicycle shop and magnificent water fountains in its many plazas. The cape further north was a well-known dating spot, with Nugget Bridge being a popular spot for Trainers to battle.

However, the Stalkers were exploring the city today, with the intent of finding the Pokemon League Gym. They surmised it wouldn't be too hard to find: how many domed buildings had a ceramic Dewgong plastered on the front existed in one place? That said, of course, they weren't having much luck navigating their way around.

"We've passed by that bike shop three times already." Observed Stan, looking worriedly at Stacee, whose nose was buried through her Town Map. "I think we're lost."

"Unless the Gym exists in an alternate dimension only accessible by circling the Miracle Cycle Shop clockwise three times…" said Blue, hands behind his head.

"Nah, I had the map upside down, sorry." Stacee looked up and pointed to a street on their left. "It's down this way."

"Then let's go already!" cheered Yellow, and dashed off, leaving her friends to catch up. When they did, they found her staring up in awe at the Cerulean City Gym, with the plastic Dewgong posed above the entrance, the domed roof colored with yellow-and-pink stripes. "Found it!" announced Yellow, beaming behind her at her friends, and she reached out and opened the glass doors.

As they piled into the lobby, Blue looked around: a lot of the lights were off, but the sunlight filtering through the windows and doors gave off the illusion of being immersed underwater. Posters and paintings of Water Pokemon were framed up on the walls, the distorted light flickering along them. "This is eerie."

"I'll say…" agreed Stacee, eyes wide. "It's quiet, too… like you never know what's going to pop out at you…"

As soon as Stacee finished speaking, there was a click from behind them and all four of them whipped around, hands moving instinctively to the small red-and-white balls clipped to their belts. They were all taken aback when they saw a small blue screen rise up from a small table, suspended by a metallic arm. The screen lit up and a cool, female voice spoke from it:

"Welcome to the Cerulean City Gym. Will you be challenging the Gym Leader today?"

"Er…" Yellow glanced around before stepping forward and speaking to the screen. "No, we're here for a… social visit."

"Please enjoy your stay." Said the voice, and the screen lowered itself back into the table, disappearing seamlessly. Immediately, Blue and Stan rushed forward and leaned over the table, hands running over it, trying to find where the screen disappeared. "S-so cool!"

"That was awesome!" gushed Stan. "I had no idea they did stuff like that!"

"Such advanced technology!" agreed Blue. "The League must've allocated extra funds for stuff like this!"

"If you two are done," said Stacee firmly, hands on her hips. "Let's go look for Miss Misty."

"Oh, right. Um…" Yellow walked up to the table. "Uh… is Misty available?" At this, the screen popped out of the table again, the screen displaying a blueprint of the building. A red dot flashed in the center of the map.

"Misty is currently swimming in the pool." Spoke the voice. The lights leading to the main section of the Gym lit up, illuminating the path.

"Thank you," said Yellow, and the screen fell back into the table. Blue and Stan grinned at each other, eyes gleaming, still awed at the spectacle. "Okay, everyone, let's go!" She marched down the hall, the others in tow.

The main room of the Cerulean Gym was huge, and it needed to be in order to house the enormous pool. Made of thick, completely translucent glass, the pool was specially designed to hold hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. Realistically-designed coral, shells, and rocky caves sat on the bottom, acting as backgrounds for the water shows hosted every few weeks. It could also rise up out of the floor to allow a full view of its contents. Metal bleachers stood on either side for spectators to sit, and on the far end of the pool stood a tall, orange diving board. Currently, the pool was lowered into the floor, the normally smooth surface being disturbed by the person swimming in it.

As the Stalkers walked up to the edge, Gym Leader Misty popped out of the water, her flame-orange hair undone from its normal side-ponytail. Wiping the water out of her clear blue eyes and staring at them, she said, "Oh… hello. Can I help you?"

Holding Yellow back to keep her from tackling her idol, Stacee said, "Hello, we're, uh… students here for a… school project."

"Oh… okay. Hold on, let me get out." Misty pulled herself out of the pool, wearing a red form-fitting one-piece swimsuit with a white floral pattern. She picked up a towel and began drying her hair. "I'm sorry, I'm Misty. And who're you?"

"I'm Stan", said Stan, pointing to himself. "This is Stacee, and Blue, and—" Yellow broke free of Stacee's grasp and flung herself forward, grabbing Misty's hands.

"I'm so glad to finally meet you!" The girl cheered, not noticing (or caring) that Misty had flinched. "I'm Yellow, and I've been a fan of you for years!"

"Um… thank you. I think," Misty wrenched her hands free as Blue pulled Yellow back. "So, what exactly are you all doing here? A school project, you said?"

"Er, pretty much." Said Blue, struggling to keep Yellow from attacking Misty again. "We're, uh… here to… observe… you in your daily habits."

"Yeah, the project's called… um, 'A Day in the Life of a Gym Leader'!" added Stan, nodding. "So we chose you."

"Oh… well, thank you." Misty brightened at this and draped her towel around her shoulders. "Just let me get changed and we can get started." She turned and disappeared down a hallway.

"Can you control yourself?" hissed Blue as he released Yellow from his grip. "You almost scared her."

"We met Misty! We just met Misty! Holy crap I can die happy now." Yellow beamed and began bouncing on the balls of her feet. Blue rolled his eyes.

"And here's the other half of our project," whispered Stacee, pointing to the hallway opposite of where Misty had gone, where a young man had just appeared.

With dark, unruly hair forced under a ballcap and light brown eyes, Ash Ketchum stared blindly at the Stalkers. Riding his shoulder was his Pikachu, who seemed more overjoyed at the prospect of company that his Trainer. "Uh, hi… who're you guys?"

Another round of introductions: all the Stalkers shook hands with Ash and were permitted by Pikachu each a pat on the head. "So, what did you come here for?"

"A school project." Said Misty, now casually dressed in a tank top and mid-length jeans. "They're here to interview me."

"Huh? Why you?" demanded Ash loudly, pointing a demanding finger at her.

"Because it's about a Gym Leader, not a mediocre Trainer." Replied Misty somewhat smugly, lips tugging into a smile at the prospect of annoying her oldest friend.

"Mediocre—!"

"Anyways," interjected Stacee, quickly stepping in front of Misty and preventing Ash from getting closer. "Misty, would you mind if Yellow and I talked to you, in private? For the project."

"Oh, sure," Misty stuck her tongue out at Ash as Yellow paraded her away. Stacee shot Blue and Stan a significant look as she followed after them. Understanding, Blue and Stan each grabbed one of Ash's arms and lead him back into the hallway from where he had come previously.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ash said loudly. Pikachu seemed to understand, however, and refrained from electrocuting the newcomers now dragging his Trainer down the hallway.

"Alright, look here," said Blue sternly, pushing Ash against a wall. "You're part of our project, too. We just don't need Misty knowing yet."

"Why not?"

"None of your business." Answered Stan, now scratching a satisfied Pikachu behind the ears. "So keep your mouth shut and this will be as painless as possible." He added, his voice oddly cheerful for someone threatening physical violence.

"First things first," continued Blue. "Define the exact nature of your relationship with Misty."

"… What?"

"Your relationship with Misty. Define it."

"Uh… w-we're just friends."

"Alright," said Stan. "So you wouldn't object to someone asking her out?"

"Asking her out? What, you mean, on a date? Why? Why would anyone want to do that?"

"Because they like her."

"But… I mean… she shouldn't…"

Blue and Stan glanced at each other: there was something there that was of use to them. But what?

"If you're just friends," pried Blue, watching Ash's reaction carefully. "Then you wouldn't mind if someone started flirting with her or something?"

Something flashed in Ash's eyes, and his face contorted just slightly at Blue's words. He opened his mouth and struggled to speak. "I… she… I don't…"

"What?" Pressed Stan, leaning in towards him, eyes narrowing. "You don't what?"

"I don't like it when she's paying attention to other men! She shouldn't. Not if I'm with her…"

"But you said you're 'just friends'." Blue reminded him, a rather sinister sneer appearing on his face. "Unless there's something more there…"

"We're just friends!" snapped Ash, his temper rising. "But I don't like it when she's off praising other guys!"

"Blue, I think we've heard enough." Said Stan quickly, an idea forming in his head. "C'mon, let's go." He patted Pikachu's head once more, grabbed Blue's wrist, and pulled him away, leaving Pikachu and Ash in the hallway.

They found Yellow and Stacee back in the lobby of the Gym, sitting in a couple of chairs. The girls looked up when they heard the boys approaching. "So? What'd you find?" asked Stacee, her face full of curiosity. "We just had to ask a bunch of lame questions to Misty."

"But we found a lot!" Yellow protested.

"Well, we found out that Ash doesn't like it when Misty is fawning over another guy," explained Stan, as Blue sat down in an empty chair. "Even though he says they're just friends…" He trailed off, and looked at the two girls. A sudden wave of inspiration ran through them and they all experienced a jolt of energy.

"Okay! We got it!"

"Got what?" asked Blue, who had been lost in thought for the past minute.

"A plan! A plan to get Ash and Misty together!" exclaimed Yellow.

"It's so simple, too." said Stan. "We just get someone to flirt with Misty in front of Ash, and he'll get all pissed…"

"And then knowing him, he'll probably challenge whoever it is to a battle." Continued Stacee. "He wins, and Misty sees how much he thinks of her!"

"Alright," said Blue, raising an eyebrow. "We just need to get someone who's willing to flirt with Misty and throw a Pokemon battle…" He stopped talking when he noticed everyone else staring at him, a creepy smile on their faces. "… What? Why are you all looking at me?"

"You're gonna do it." announced Yellow.

"WHAT?"

"You're the only one you can do it," clarified Stacee patiently. "Yellow and I are girls, Stan's gay… you're the only straight guy out of the four of us."

"I… you… but…" Blue sputtered, utterly outraged and confused. "You can't be serious!"

"We are," said Stan seriously. "If you don't, we'll have come out here for nothing. Besides, once we tell Headmistress Tara that you refused to cooperate..."

Blue shuddered involuntarily at the thought. "Alright, alright, fine… but don't ever bring this up again." He stood up from his chair with a sigh, slipped off his uniform jacket, cricked his neck, and walked back out to the pool, where Misty was now sitting up on the bleachers writing on a clipboard. Ash and Pikachu, as luck would have it, were playing with a rubber ball a few rows up.

With a deep breath, Blue walked over to Misty and sat down next to her on the bleachers. "Hi there,"

She smiled slightly, just looking up from the clipboard. "Hello… you're Blue, right?"

"I'm flattered you remembered my name," _I can't believe I just said that!_ He thought, glancing up to see Stan, Stacee, and Yellow watching him. They gestured at him to continue. "Um… anyways, I just wanted to tell you how… breathtaking you are in a swimsuit."

Misty turned slightly pink and turned back to her clipboard. "Um… thank you."

"He's so cheesy." Observed Stacee, feeling slightly embarrassed for her friend.

"This is hilarious," whispered Stan, overcome with glee. He looked over at Yellow and noticed she had a very familiar-looking glint in her eyes… but a sudden metallic scrape caught his attention and turned back to see that Ash had stood up, glaring down at Blue, who hadn't noticed.

"I know a lot of people say your older sisters are more beautiful," Blue was saying, referring to Daisy, Lily, and Violet, who were currently going on a worldwide cruise. "But you have a certain physical attraction of your own."

"If only some people would realize that," Misty said a little loudly, having also noticed that Ash had stood up and was now making his way down to them. Blue turned to see Ash point a gloved finger at his face.

"I knew there was a reason you were asking all these questions! I challenge you to a battle!"

Blue grinned and stood up, loosening his tie a bit. "You're talking my language. If you win, I leave Misty alone. But if I win…" He reached down, pulled Misty up, and put his arm around her shoulder. "I take Misty out on a date."

"Physical contact wasn't part of the plan!" Yellow seethed, and Stan quickly reached up to hold her back, saying "Stop! You'll ruin it!"

"You're on!" Ash stormed down the bleachers and took a spot on one of the pool, where small platforms where now appearing. Pikachu stood next to him, looking embarrassed and ashamed.

"You're really not doing this," Misty asked Blue, looking very confused at the entire situation.

"Not really, no." Blue admitted with a grin, reaching for one of the PokeBalls on his belt. "But there is a purpose to all this, trust me." When he got to his spot across from Ash, he tossed his PokeBall into the air, where it split open and spewed out a burst of formless white light, which then disappeared to reveal a large, blue quadruped dragon with curved crimson wings and a mouthful of pearly-white fangs. The Salamence yawned widely and flexed its wings, turning its head to stare at its Trainer.

"We have a plan," Blue whispered to his Pokemon, looking across the pool at Ash. Pikachu was standing on the platform in front of him, but it was obvious that Ash would choose his most loyal partner for something like this. "We have to lose on purpose."

Salamence gave Blue a look that very clearly said, _You've got to be kidding._

"I know it's stupid, but it has to be done. Got it?"

The dragon rolled its eyes and turned its attention to Pikachu. Stan had stepped forward to act as a referee, while Stacee and Yellow stood next to Misty. "Salamence versus Pikachu!" Stan announced, his voice amplified throughout the room. "Begin!"

With surprising speed, Salamence leapt into the air and dived full-speed at the electric mouse. "Wait, Salamence! That's not the plan!" shouted Blue, but the dragon was too prideful to purposely lose a battle: it launched a white-hot fireball at Pikachu, who jumped out of the way with Agility.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" The lightning-bolt-shaped tail of the rodent glowed silver and swung down towards Salamence's head. The dragon turned up towards it, and opened its mouth…

There was a blinding flash and Ash cheered. When the flash disappeared, Pikachu had its tail clamped firmly between its opponent's jaws. "Thunderbolt!" instructed Ash, and Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity and unleashed thousands of volts upon Salamence, who dropped Pikachu into the water.

"Salamence, Dragon Claw!" Blue shouted as Pikachu resurfaced, but threw a look meaning _Miss on purpose_. Salamence glared at its Trainer and instead charged full speed at Pikachu, front left claw alit in flames.

"Agility!" cried Ash, and Pikachu skipped across the water's surface to evade the attack. Salamence turned in mid-air and charged again, unleashing a Flamethrower. Pikachu swerved the pillar of flame, still jumping across the water…

Only to run into Salamence, who had used Flamethrower as a decoy. With violence in its eyes, the dragon increased its flying speed and drove its Dragon Claw right into Pikachu's stomach. Both Ash and Blue groaned: Ash for his Pokemon getting damaged, and Blue for his Pokemon's disobedience.

Pikachu was flung across the room, smashed into the wall, and fell to the floor. "Chaaa.." he moaned, struggling to get up. "Urgh… Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash asked, running over to his partner. When the Pokemon shook its head, Ash glared up at Blue and said, "I forfeit."

Salamence flew over to Blue and landed next to him, looking very pleased with itself. "Well I hope you're happy," said Blue, glaring at his Pokemon. Salamence gave off a grin that said _Damn right I'm happy, human. This is what you get for sending me out when you need to lose_.

With a roll of his eyes, Blue recalled Salamence back into its ball and walked over to Stan. "Sorry I messed things up, Shota-Man."

Stan shrugged, seemingly not bothered by it. "I didn't expect Salamence to purposely fail anyways."

"Yellow's gonna kill me," grumbled Blue, taking off his hat and running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I think she'd kill you even if the plan succeeded…" said Stan, mostly to himself.

"Hm, what was that?"

"N-nothing…"

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

Notice how it's been about 10 months since the last update? Yeah, real life happened. Anyways, MistyMix89 gave me permission to write chapter 3, so here it is. It's just over 12 pages in Word, so hopefully it satisfies you all until we can get chapter 4 up. Until then, enjoy!

Oh, and by the way, see that box way down at the bottom? Yeah, that big one. Use it, please. It'll help us improve things that may need fixing, or if you just want to tell us how good of a job we're doing (if at all).

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>  
><em>We're Going with Plan B! A Frantic Night at Chez Leuphorie<em>

Blue and Stan walked back over to where Yellow and Stacee were standing. Stacee was frowning slightly, while Yellow looked rather annoyed at Blue. Given how badly he – or rather, his Salamence – had messed up the plan, her frustration was rather justified.

"Well, that was a fiasco." Said Blue plainly, ruffling his hair.

"Why, of all Pokemon, did you have to use Salamence?" Stacee asked, giving her friend a neutral-faced stare that worked just as well as a look of disappointment.

Blue shrugged. "I thought it was appropriate for the situation."

"Idiot," muttered Yellow, arms crossed, brown eyes narrowed in contempt at the tall boy.

Sensing Yellow's anger, Stan quickly shifted the conversation, saying, "I'm sure we can think of another plan. I mean, Blue still won, and he has to take Misty out on a date now… is there anything we could do with that?"

Moments passed in silence, the four of them thinking furtively.

"I don't think another jealously ploy is going to work." Stacee said.

"Especially since _he_…" Yellow glared at Blue again, but the boy had his eyes closed in thought and didn't notice. "Had to go and mess up this one."

"This dinner date's our best chance, then," Stacee continued. "If we can just figure out something that will work…"

Blue opened his eyes and looked around at his friends. "I have something… if you're willing to hear me out." He smirked at Yellow, who stuck out her tongue in response. "Let me dodge out of the date — yes, Yellow, I know I messed up and I shouldn't get off scot-free — but have Misty show up anyways. Meanwhile, we tell Ash to go to the same restaurant, under some false pretense: interview, another date, whatever. We'll bribe the staff to have them sit at the same table."

"And you don't think Misty will have an outburst after what happened?" asked Stacee, eyebrow raised.

"I do, but since we know she's got a soft spot for this lovey-dovey romantic stuff, she should cool down enough for her to enjoy the evening."

More silence as everyone absorbed this. It was a decent plan, except…

"Okay, Misty loves the romance," admitted Stan. "But Ash doesn't."

"He doesn't understand how important it is to her," added Yellow, still glaring at Blue as if to prove a point. He simply blinked at her before turning to the others.

"Maybe he'll understand, in time. Or maybe even after seeing an outburst. As a last resort, though, we should look for a place that serves Blissey eggs for dessert."

"Why's that?" asked Stacee, but it was Stan who answered.

"People who eat Blissey's eggs are filled with a massive amount of happiness and contentment. It'll be a nice little thing to ensure they have an enjoyable evening."

"So we're agreed then?" said Blue, clapping his hands together. "Excellent. Shota-Man," he said, turning to Stan. "If you wouldn't mind doing some research on some establishments in town, that would be great, and the fancier, the better. Stacee, you'll have to think of some way to lure Ash there." The two nodded and went off together, leaving Yellow behind with Blue.

"And if you wouldn't mind," Blue said to her, ignoring her continual fuming gaze. "Come with me, please."

"Why?" She demanded, walking with him as he started moving back towards the pool where Ash and Misty remained.

"Because this may help you feel better." Blue walked up to Misty, smiling. It seemed that, when the mood suited him, he was more than happy in playing along. "Miss Misty, it is an honor to have your acquaintance this evening." Standing behind him, Yellow rolled her eyes.

Misty glanced at Ash (positively livid at Blue by this point, but like Yellow, he was ignored) before saying, "Um… thanks. So, we're going tonight, then?"

"If that suits you," Blue said, still smiling. "I'm having my friends do some research as to where we shall be dining, so I'll let you know once a decision is reached. Until then…" He gestured behind him to Yellow, who straightened up, alert. "I think Yellow will be more than happy to take you shopping, if you acquire some new wardrobe procurements."

No sooner had the words come out of his mouth did Yellow let out a squeal of joy, grab Misty by the hand, and practically sprint her out of the Gym. Blue watched them disappear before turning around to find Ash's steaming face right in front of him.

"I want a rematch," He demanded. Pikachu, perched up on his Trainer's shoulder, let out a sigh, ears dropping.

"Is this because I beat you or because I'm taking Misty out?" Blue asked, doing his best to keep a condescending smirk from unfurling across his lips. He could practically hear the gears chugging along in Ash's head before he answered.

"What does it matter to you? All I know is that you're just some guy who bursts in here, asks questions about my relationship with Misty, and then you start flirting with her!" He paused before adding, "And you beat me in a battle!"

Blue noticed Stan and Stacee out of the corner of his eye, ushering him over. "Y'know, Ash," he said. "There's a bit more to this than you realize. I'm sure if you dusted out your head you'd figure it out." With that, he turned and walked over to his friends, asking in a low voice, "What d'ya got?"

"Reservations for two at Chez Leuphorie, seven o' clock." answered Stan. "It's the newest joint in the city. They specialize in Blissey eggs."

"Great," Blue turned towards Stacee. "And how will we be luring Ashy-boy over?"

Stacee smiled rather deviously, pulling out a PokeGear from her pocket. She ducked out of sight into another room, followed by Blue and Stan. They found Stacee dialing a number, and she put a finger to her lips as she brought the device up to her ear.

"Yes, hello, is this Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town?" She was speaking in a very nasally voice. "Hi, this is Anita Replie for the _Kanto Tribune_… please, call me Ann… We've heard of your numerous achievements and wish to schedule an interview… You will? Oh, thank you! How does tonight at seven work? …Excellent! Meet me at Chez Leuphorie — you'll recognize it, it has the name in curvy pink neon lights on the front. Oh, and Mister Ketchum? …We'd like to keep this exclusive, so please don't go blabbing to anyone. Thank you so much! Okay, see you then."

She closed her PokeGear with a snap, grinning widely, as Blue and Stan stared with gaping mouths. "I think that deserves an Oscar, if I do say so."

"Sometimes I think you're the scariest one of us," muttered Stan as he and Blue followed her out of the room, Ash's whoops of glee echoing through-out the Gym.

* * *

><p>Yellow and Misty returned to the Gym around five in the afternoon. Yellow looked considerably happier after spending a good chunk of the day with her idol, while Misty appeared worn-out and relieved to be back in familiar territory.<p>

Stacee met them in the entrance hall of the building. "So did you two have fun?"

"Oh yes!" said Yellow, showing off the multitude of bags in her arms. Misty was holding a lot less in comparison. Stacee wondered off-hand how much Gym Leaders got paid. "I feel a lot better after getting to spend the day with Misty!" The dark-haired girl beamed at the redhead, who smiled somewhat wearily.

"I'm going to put these away in my room." Misty said, starting to walk off, but Stacee intervened quickly.

"Blue decided on where he'll meet you… at Chez Leuphorie, that new French joint, around seven."

"Okay, thanks." Misty said, nodding. As she walked away Stacee heard her mutter, "That explains the dresses I was told to buy…"

"Where're the boys?" Yellow asked, setting her bags down on the floor.

"Somewhere," Stacee replied with a shrug. "They didn't say where they were gonna be, and I didn't ask. More importantly," She continued, lowering her voice, in case someone came walking by. "I was able to set-up a fake newspaper interview for Ash at the same restaurant. Blue and Stan went over and got the staff to play along. We're all set."

"Almost," corrected Yellow, picking up a small black bag and handing it to Stacee. "Give this to the boys, its Ash's suit."

"Ash's suit?" repeated Stacee, taking the bag but not quite understanding.

"How do you think Misty will react when she sees Ash in a place like that in his usual clothes?"

"I'm more worried about how she'll react to seeing him there at all, but fair point," Stacee conceded, peering into the bag. "I'll go look for the guys now."

"Wait, wait!" Yellow handed over another, larger bag. "Give these to Stan and Blue."

"What for? You're not making them dress up, too?"

"I'm making all of us dress up." Replied Yellow in a this-is-essential-for-any-plan kind of voice. "If we're gonna watch the whole thing, we're gonna have to be in disguise, so Ash and Misty don't recognize us and realize what we're doing."

"Plus I don't think we bothered to pack different outfits." Said Stacee, looking down at her academy uniform. None of the Stalkers had changed, but they also had no idea how long they'd be staying on the Kanto mainland.

"I think half of these bags are spare clothes," said Yellow, peeking inside of each one. "I'll distribute these later, once we get back tonight."

"Works for me. I'm going to go give the guys their new gifts."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Stan and Blue were attempting to solve a different problem. Their trip to the restaurant also served as a reconnaissance mission. They managed to procure a table by the kitchen, so Ash and Misty's dinner could be easily observed, or at least visually. There was still the issue of audio, and the boys shut themselves in a spare guest bedroom to brainstorm.<p>

"We can't have each of us walking by the table in turn." Stan said, rubbing his baby-face chin. "It'd be too obvious, and rather suspicious."

"How about microphone equipment or something?" suggested Blue, sitting cross-legged on the bed, his baseball cap sitting on the small nightstand nearby. "It'd be rather unobtrusive, if we do it right."

Stan shook his head. "If we put it right over the table, we'd probably pick up more stuff from the other tables. There'd be too much interference."

"What about a small, personal microphone, then? Or maybe dismantle some baby monitors, and stick the audio retriever on Ash's clothes…"

"Maybe… but how would we power it? Baby monitors use giant batteries, don't they?"

"They make batteries that are flat, like coins. If we could get a microphone to stick to one of those, we could just put it on his body somewhere…"

"Just as long as you don't put it on his skin, I'm fine with it." Stacee said, poking her head in; Stan jumped about the foot in the air and Blue toppled over backwards, off the bed and out of sight.

"Dammit, Stacee… you nearly killed us!" yelled Stan, placing a hand on his chest to try and lower his heart rate, as Blue heaved himself off the floor, swearing liberally under his breath.

"Well, you're not getting off that easily," replied Stacee, holding out the bags. "Here — these are Ash's suit, and your costumes, for tonight."

"Our what, now?" asked Blue, taking the bigger bag from her, eyebrow raised as if he had misheard her, and a little wary after having been shocked into a non-consensual backflip, wondering if this was another prank.

"Costumes," repeated Stacee, and she explained Yellow's reasoning for the disguises. "Yellow and I have ours, too, so we're all playing along."

"And do we get bags to hold our candy?"

Stacee simply stared before turning to walk out of the room. "Just make sure all of you are dressed properly before you even think about setting foot in the restaurant."

"Hey, Stacee," said Stan, before the girl could leave. "Get Misty there a little earlier, so she and Ash don't run into each other before they're seated."

"Got it," She said, and the door closed shut behind her. Stan turned to find Blue examining the suit Ash would be wearing. It was nothing special: just slacks, a jacket, and a tie.

"We may have to rethink where to put the microphone," Blue said, looking up from the outfit, frowning slightly. "If we put it under the collar, or behind the tie, I think we're just gonna get a lot of fabric brushing together."

"Let's put it somewhere on the table, then." Stan replied, pulling the costumes out of the big bag and setting the larger of the two on the bed for Blue. "We'll be heading there with enough time to set things up beforehand."

"I'll make a run to pick up the baby monitors and batteries." Blue put the suit on the bed, picked up his hat from the nightstand and placed it on his head. "Anything I can get for you?"

"Get some pipe cleaners. I think I can make something fairly simple to hide the microphone."

"You do make some mean craftwork," said Blue with a grin, recalling a particularly realistic craft Spinarak that had scared the living daylights out of Yellow.

* * *

><p>It was now a quarter to seven. The sun dipped towards the horizon, painting the sky with a variety of pinks, purples, oranges, and blues. The streetlamps lining the roads and sidewalks were starting to flicker to life, illuminating the pedestrians still milling about.<p>

The restaurant known as Chez Leuphorie was rather modest, tucked between two other establishments. The real only exterior décor was a neon sign, flashing the name in bright pink. Inside, it was a standard design of an upscale bistro: soft chandelier lighting, deep orange-red wallpaper, the tables covered with white linen tablecloths.

All the wait staff, men and women alike, were adorned with black pants, black vests over white button-down shirts, with a final touch of red bowties. Among the waiters and waitresses were the disguised Stalkers, currently standing in the kitchen, talking over the clangs of pots and shouting chefs.

"Everything's in place," said Blue, turning the volume knob of the receiving baby monitor. "Misty should be here any minute."

"Ash will be here more around seven," added Stan, looking like the waiter costume was tailor-made for him. "And the maître d' will keep him occupied enough so he doesn't see Misty until he's sitting down."

"The pipe cleaner flower was a nice touch," noted Yellow, standing on tiptoe to peer out of the porthole windows of the kitchen doors. "And the microphone's hidden there?"

"Of course," said Stan, beaming.

"Lucky we got some real flowers to hide it with." Stacee twirled a stand of her hair between her fingers as she spoke.

"Wait, she's here!" cried Blue and Yellow at the same time, Blue standing over the monitor, and Yellow peering out the window. Stacee and Stan rushed over to the window, just in time to see the maître d' leading Misty over to the table.

Misty was wearing a simple red dress, nothing too extravagant. The most noticeable change, however, was that her flame-orange hair was not tied up in her usual side ponytail, but instead cascading down to just above her shoulders. A small handbag was clutched in her hands.

"Wow, how'd you convince her to do that?" muttered Stan to Yellow, whose brown eyes were gleaming so bright he half-considered shielding his eyes.

"I guess I can be very persuasive," Yellow replied happily.

"How's the microphone working out?" Stacee asked Blue, who had just come over to steal a peek.

"I'd know more if I could get her to say something." He said, turning aside to let a waiter by. "Although, if this guy's going over there…"

Indeed he was. The waiter stopped at Misty's table, leaning over a little to talk to her easier. "Anything I can get you, _mademoiselle_?" came the waiter's voice through the baby monitor, albeit electronically filtered.

"Just water for now, thank you." Said Misty's voice, and the Stalkers all grinned in triumph as the waiter slipped back into the kitchen behind them.

"Well, I was bound to have a good idea sooner or later." Blue joked, adjusting the volume slightly so that Misty wouldn't hear herself talking from the kitchen.

"If this dinner works, then maybe we'll share that sentiment." Said Stacee, elbowing her friend lightly in the ribs.

"We're about to find out; Ash is here!" Stan announced, his eyes wide.

Sure enough, the maître d' was leading Ash to the same table as Misty. Due to being engaged in conversation with the headwaiter, Ash didn't notice, but Misty sure did, and her eyes widened in shock. Ash took in the seat opposite her, and once the maître d' walked off, he stared back.

"What are you doing here?!" They cried in unison, causing the other patrons' heads to turn in their direction.

"I'm supposed to be on a date!" hissed Misty before Ash could answer for himself. "What are you doing?"

"I was asked to be interviewed!" replied Ash, a hint of pride in his indignant voice.

Misty scoffed, crossing her arms. "That's a laugh! Who'd want to interview _you_?"

"Well…" He paused, thinking hard. "Lots of people!"

"Your mother doesn't count," said Misty matter-of-factly, and she smirked as Ash glared at her. "She's only one person anyways."

Ash pouted for a moment, eyes darting around at the other tables. Then a small grin spread across his lips. "Y'know that Blue guy isn't here."

Misty glanced around quickly before replying. "I-it's still early. He should be here soon."

"Well, there aren't any other tables around…"

"Then you'll have to move and do your interview somewhere else, Mister Pokemon Master." Misty said, the last three words carrying a particular mocking tone.

"I just said there aren't any other tables." Ash stared at his friend with a particularly blank face, which for him was saying something.

Misty stared back, unable to understand what he was trying to say: and then it hit her like a Bullet Punch to the face. _Were we set up?_ She thought. _It can't just be coincidence we ended up at the same place at the same time… the same day those four people showed up._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the waiter, although it was a different person than the one who brought Misty her drink earlier. The new waiter had disheveled hair, with small white flakes visible on his scalp. His eyes looked hazy and disoriented, and he spoke with a heavy, bored-sounding voice. "So, uh… can I, like… help you?"

There was one thought that flashed through the minds of Ash, Misty, and the Stalkers in complete unison: who the hell hired this idiot?

"Who assigned this pizza delivery reject to their table?" whispered Stacee to her friends.

"No clue," replied Stan in a low voice (or at least as low as his voice could get). "But this doesn't bode well, does it?"

Yellow didn't look as worried as the others. "Misty will put him in his place. If anything," she added hopefully. "Ash will see how passionate she can get."

"I think he knows enough of that by now." Blue said, as Ash and Misty's orders came drifting in through the baby monitor. "Although, does anyone else have the feeling they stepped into a bad fanfic?"

Pizza Reject Waiter drifted into the kitchen with the orders, then shuffled back out to the tables, dragging his feet as he went. Stacee, Yellow, and Stan exchanged glances, unspoken worry drifting between them. Then a loud, rumbling sound shook them out of their reprieve, and they all turned towards where the sound came from: Blue's stomach.

"Dammit," He said, looking down at it with a grimace. "In all this excitement, I skipped lunch…" He stared over at the chefs, bustling around stoves and ovens. "Hold this…" He thrust the baby monitor into Stacee's hands and drifted away, weaving between cooks, and disappeared.

Stacee turned up the volume slightly to hear Misty saying, "…That wasn't 'hamburger supreme', Ash. You ordered a 'Hamburg steak'."

"It's still meat." Said Ash dismissively. "Besides, what did you order? 'Boo-ya-base'?"

"It's bouillabaisse. Seafood bouillabaisse. I haven't had any in a long time..." Misty trailed off, staring at some undefined space, fondly reminiscing.

"Huh…" Ash leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand. "I never figured you'd eat seafood, with being a Water-type Trainer and everything."

"There's more to me than you might think." Misty snapped, turning back to face him. "Besides…" Her eyes narrowed. "If you knew me well enough…"

"I just find it a little weird, that's all…" Ash rubbed the back of his neck, glancing up at the ceiling. "On the plus side, at least I know that you wouldn't mind going to a sushi joint with me or something, ha ha."

The Stalkers were practically frozen at this revelation. Stacee and Stan traded looks of wide-eyed surprise, while Yellow clamped her hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming in delight.

"Ohmigod, did he really say that?" She whispered, smiling widely.

"This thing isn't defective, is it?" murmured Stacee, holding the baby monitor up to her ear and shaking it, as if she could hear parts rattling around inside.

"The waiter's going back," said Stan, watching as Pizza Reject Waiter passed through the doors, tray in hand. Stacee and Yellow squeezed next to him, the porthole window fogging up with moisture from their breaths.

"Your steak," He said, unceremoniously placing the plate in front of Ash. "And your escargot."

Misty's eye twitched, and she slowly turned her head up to the waiter. A vein was throbbing on her temple, and Ash backed away from the table slightly, as if he could feel the heat radiating off of her. Pizza Reject Guy seemed unfazed.

"I didn't order this." Said Misty, in a voice of very forced calm. "I ordered the bouillabaisse. Not… this."

"It's still shellfish." Said Pizza Reject Waiter, scratching his head. A flurry of dandruff drifted from his hair to the floor.

"Take it back," demanded Misty, now standing, a finger pointed at the plate. "Now."

"I already put it down. Can't take it back." Another scratch, followed by more dandruff. Ash tried to count the flakes before they reached the floor.

Misty smiled a deadly, venom-laced smile. "Is that the restaurant's policy?"

Pizza Reject Waiter shrugged. "My policy."

Stan had to leap aside as Pizza Reject Waiter came toppling into the kitchen, a plate stuck to his face by crushed snail. A few survivors sought refuge in his pockets, leaving behind trails of slime. Yellow shuddered at the sight and turned away.

"What restaurant serves stuff like that?" Misty sat back down in her chair, fuming. She crossed her arms and watched Ash practically inhale a full third of his steak at once. He noticed her staring.

"What?"

"You could offer me some of your food." She said pointedly.

Ash looked down at his plate, as if he expected to see a different entrée sitting there. "But it's my food." He said. "I ordered it."

"It's the gentlemanly thing to do." She bestowed him a fake smile. "Then again, I know you're all too eager to stuff your little face with food."

"I told you before," grumbled Ash, returning to his plate, trying not to look at her. "My face isn't little."

Blue finally returned, although his stomach was still rumbling. He looked severely irritated. "Can you believe this?" He grumbled, standing next to the rest of the Stalkers. "We get in good favor with this place and they won't even let me taste anything unless I'm a paying customer."

"There's some leftover escargot if you're interested." Offered Stacee, motioning to Pizza Reject Waiter, who hadn't moved since his dramatic re-entry into the kitchen.

Blue spared a glance before replying, "I'd rather eat Misty's cooking," which earned him a sharp jab in his side, courtesy of Yellow. "So how's it going?"

Stacee brought him up to speed, handing him back the baby monitor. "Anyways, they're busy eating. Misty finally got what she ordered."

"And the world's destruction is delayed once again." Remarked Blue, as the baby monitor squawked with Ash's voice:

"Hey, Mist: I'll trade you a bite of my steak for a bit of whatever-it-is you have there."

Misty almost dropped her spoon in shock: Ash Ketchum, _offering to share his food_? What in the world was going on today? She looked up into his eyes and, realizing he was being genuine, relented. "Oh, alright."

She reached for a second spoon, but Ash said, "Do it with what you have, I just want a taste," And held out his fork with a bite of steak speared onto the end.

Yellow almost fell over in the kitchen. "What is he doing?!" She squealed. "Is this an indirect kiss?" Her eyes darted from Stacee, mouth agape, to Stan, who had stumbled backwards as if he had been punched, to Blue, now slumped against the wall on the floor, looking very dazed.

"He probably doesn't know what he's doing…" said Stan slowly, staring out of the porthole window of the kitchen door. "He just wants the food…"

"Ssh!" hissed Stacee. "Look, look, they're —"

Everyone (save for Blue, too hungry to move) crowded around the window, watching with bated breath as Ash and Misty traded bites of their meals with the utensils they had been using. Misty's face was almost as red as her hair, and she sat back in her seat, chewing slowly, watching Ash, who had his eyes closed.

Yellow let out a hushed "yes!", and Stacee and Stan looked at each other in jubilant disbelief. Blue could only muster out a weak "yay", his stomach growling louder than before.

"This is the best thing ever," Yellow said, trying to resist dancing in the middle of the kitchen and knocking over any hapless chefs who would have walked into her.

"Although, as usual, Ash has no clue what he just did." Said Stacee, peering out of the window. "Misty looks a little peeved."

Just after she said that, Ash's voice came in through the baby monitor. "Mist, you alright? You're all red."

"Of course I'm all red, you idiot," Misty had her head down, speaking in a forced, even voice. Her fists were clenched, resting on her knees, and she seemed to be trembling. "How could I not, after what you did?"

Ash blinked. What did he do? He just offered to share his food; isn't that what Misty was upset about earlier? No wonder Brock couldn't get any girls, they were so complicated. "I don't — "

"Of course you don't!" snapped Misty, glaring at him. Her eyes, colored brilliantly clear aquamarine, narrowed at him. She could feel tears welling up but forced them down. "That's what pisses me off the most about you… you don't understand _anything_ other than Pokemon! Would it kill you to show some decency towards others?!" _Guess it's harder to cry when you get angry_, she thought, still glaring hard at Ash, who was, damn him, staring at her like she had just grown a second head.

Then his expression shifted. "Well, what pisses me off most about _you_," He said, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "Is how you always — always! — find fault with me!"

Back in the kitchen, Yellow, Stacee, and Stan all simultaneously slapped their hands to their foreheads; Blue's head merely dropped to his chest, only to have it snap back up after the latest rumbling.

"Sorry to ruin your daydream," Misty replied, her blood boiling, rage bubbling up, aching to burst out of her. "But you're not perfect! Far from it!"

"And you are?" Ash demanded, leaning forward. "Well, no wonder you yell at me all the time…"

"I'm hardly perfect! Just look at what I'm doing now! If I was perfect, I wouldn't be yelling at the man I…" She caught herself, suddenly aware of what she was about to say. Her anger was slowly subsiding, eyes widening in shock. Across from her, Ash's face softened, twisting into bewilderment.

"The man you what?" He asked quietly.

"Yes, yes, the man you what?!" demanded Yellow, shaking the door in desperation to hear the answer. Stacee pinned her friend's arms to her sides to prevent their cover from behind blown.

"I didn't say anything," whispered Misty finally, her face a bright red, turning away and becoming very interested in the carpet pattern.

"Yes you did," pressed Ash, leaning in more, eyes alright in curiosity. "What am I? 'The man you…' what? 'The man you' what?"

Suddenly furious again, Misty whipped her head up to face him, glaring so hard it was hard to believe laser beams weren't shooting out. "I said if I was perfect," she shouted, "I wouldn't be yelling at the man I love!"

It was as though time had frozen completely. Everyone in the restaurant, even the near-comatose Blue, was staring at their table. Not a single sound could be heard, as even the chefs had stopped cooking. Ash was utterly dumbfounded, gaping at his friend with his mouth wide open.

Abruptly aware that she was now the center of attention, Misty grabbed her handbag and dashed out. The last sound audible from her through the baby monitor was a something between a gasp and a sob. All eyes shifted to Ash, who was mouthing what he had heard. With a jolt, he stood up and rushed after her, almost stumbling over the table. "Misty, wait…!"

As the chatter of conversation and clatter of silverware began anew, the Stalkers all exchanged worried looks. Yellow seemed absolutely devastated, brown eyes welling up with tears. Stacee ran her fingers through her hair, looking rather pale. Stan, already pale to begin with, was beside himself and turned to face the wall. Blue, still slumped on the floor in hunger, heaved a heavy sigh.

"Well," he said finally, voice hoarse, "guess I won't be allowed to participate anymore, huh?"

_To be continued..._


End file.
